Various devices that are remotely located for different types of monitoring functions often have various power, voltage, and current needs depending on the state of operation of the device. For example, wireless meters that monitor power, water, gas, or other types of utilities are being implemented by various utility companies. With these types of devices, a customer's use of utilities may be remotely monitored rather than requiring onsite monitoring. The electronic components within these systems can have various power, voltage and current requirements depending upon whether the device is merely in a low powered monitoring state or is in a higher power data transmission state wherein the information that is being monitored by the device is being transmitted to some centralized location.
Within these types of devices, the ability for limiting power, voltage or current use can greatly extend the life of the device. One problem within these types of devices is that they are often current limited applications in the majority of their operating cycle. However, there are limited periods of time wherein high burst current conditions occur and additional operating current levels are needed to charge or operate various states of the device.
Another problem with these types of devices often arises in the voltage needs that are normally associated therewith. Many devices will often operate much more efficiently when in a very low power, low voltage state of operation. However, certain operations within the device may require higher voltage in order to operate more efficiently. In various applications, the product service life dictates the battery chemistry. The battery chemistry dictates the battery voltage. The battery voltage dictates the power consumption. Many times the voltage is higher than it needs to be for the circuitry required in the system so the entire system does not operate as efficiently at it otherwise can. This may require design of the device to meet the high power applications that are only used at a very limited period of time in the operation of the device.
Thus, some control means and/or systems for overcoming these types of limitations within existing control topologies would greatly benefit the operation of differing types of remote metering/remote monitoring applications.